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From the category archives:

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Post image for Learn How to Tie a Micro Paracord Bracelet for that Special Someone

You might have recently seen our Knot of the Week video for the Quick Release Paracord Bracelet that can be used for emergency deployment. While we’re all about usability here at ITS, sometimes you might just want a paracord bracelet to wear, without a need for a secondary use.

For today’s KOTW, I’ll show you how to use Type I Paracord to make a micro version of the Soloman Bar Paracord Bracelet to make for yourself, give as a gift, or keep in mind for a future project.

While you’ll see me weaving this bracelet to fit my wrist, these are great for men, kids and women alike. Our friend Raquel Rusing of Triple Aught Design was wearing one of these at SHOT Show this year and we talked about not only how easy the smaller sized paracord bracelet is to wear on a regular basis, but also about how there are more people out there looking for an alternative.

Type III bracelets can be clunky and make writing and typing uncomfortable, so for anyone like me who’s at a desk most of the day and still wants to wear a paracord bracelet, the micro version is a much more utilitarian option. [Read More…]

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Post image for Quick Release Paracord Bracelet for Emergency Deployment

How many of you have either purchased or made your own Paracord Bracelet and ever had to unravel it to actually use the paracord? If so, you’ve probably realized how much of a pain it is to untie each part of the Solomon Bar Knot that’s used to tie these bracelets.

Today on our latest Knot of the Week, we’ll show you how to use a Chain Sinnet knot concept to tie a Paracord Bracelet that will allow you to quickly pull apart your bracelet for immediate access to your continuous 10 feet of paracord for emergency use.

This method will take a bit longer to tie than a normal Solomon Bar Paracord Bracelet, but if quick access is what you need out of your bracelet’s paracord, then this is the answer.

ITS now offers Mil-Spec Type III Paracord in our store!

[Read More…]

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Post image for Dealing with Anchors while Rappelling and Making a DIY Retrievable Anchor

You’ve read the series on learning How to Rappel. You have a good grasp of the fundamentals and are ready move beyond going up and down the same spot. This article is meant to supplement a few items that were beyond the scope of the original series.

  • How do you deal with natural anchors?
  • How do you deal with multiple pieces of webbing in various lengths?
  • How do you get that anchor back after you get down? [Read More…]

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Post image for How to Make a Liberty Bottle Leash for Your Lid

In our newest Knot of the Week, we’ll be taking a look at a way to add a leash to the lid from your Liberty Bottle so it doesn’t grow legs and walk away.

One thing that I felt was missing from the US made ITS Liberty Bottles that we sell in our store, was a way to lanyard in the lid so it didn’t get lost. As I started taking Liberty Bottles with me while hiking and climbing, I quickly missed the ability to drink one-handed after removing the lid; which can be done with Nalgenes.

With a couple of easy knots and some Type 1 Paracord or the guts from standard Type III Paracord, you’ll be able to create your own Liberty Bottle Leash in no time! [Read More…]

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Post image for Understanding and Employing Man’s Oldest Weapon

Not long after early men hit each other with fists, they picked up the first weapon, a stick.

Typically when I talk about weapon use, it takes the logical progressing of selection, carry, deployment and use. For early man, the idea of selecting the perfect stick was more simplified than it is these days. They had the good fortune of not being subjected to tactical marketing.

I was lucky enough, at least in my opinion, to actually hit people with sticks early in my Law Enforcement career and see what worked and what didn’t. During my career, I carried the Koga Stick, PR-24, and several different size ASPS. Each stick had its pros and cons, mostly due to carry issues. I’ve continued to be a fan of the straight stick, a tool that in my honest opinion continues to be misunderstood, underutilized, and overlooked. [Read More…]

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Post image for The Launching of Official ITS Tactical Geocaching Travel Bugs

We’re stoked to be releasing two Travel Bugs into the Geocaching world. This is our first series of Travel Bugs and we hope you guys/gals will get involved with moving them through their missions.

If you’re not familiar with Geocaching or don’t know what travel bugs are please check out our Introduction to Geocaching article. Mike does a great job of giving you the basics about getting started. If you are a seasoned Geocacher then you know how much fun it can be to help travel bugs along their way.

Both Travel Bugs will be launched from the UDT/SEAL Museum in Ft Pierce Florida. We started a cache named In Memory Of Our Fallen (GC37M7X ), which is right outside the entrance to the Museum and also the inscription on the ITS Tactical brick at the UDT/SEAL Museum. [Read More…]

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Post image for 2nd Annual Gear Junkie: Treasure Hunt AAR

With our legs screaming, our breathing fast and shallow, we continue climbing. The GPS says we’re just a few hundred feet away and while we tried to resist bushwhacking due to the waste of energy, if this gamble pays off it will net us a solid 40 points. The second most valuable checkpoint in the race.

My brother and his wife have joined me in the second ever Gear Junkie Treasure Hunt taking place in Roanoke, Virginia. It’s quite a drive from Washington, DC but it sure is scenic this time of year and the weather was absolutely perfect. [Read More…]

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Post image for Knot of the Week – Strider Knives / TAD Gear DUK Paracord Wrapping

Have you always wondered how to achieve the technique that Strider uses to wrap their knife handles with paracord? On Today’s Knot of the Week we’ll show you exactly how to do it with a detailed video in HD!

We’ve previously demonstrated this method on a County Comm Breacher Bar, but if left a lot of you asking further questions and if we could demonstrate it on a Strider Knife. Using a Strider/Triple Aught Design DUK we’ll show you how you can utilize this wrapping on anything that has at least two holes drilled and optionally a lanyard hole as well.

You can apply this wrapping principle to just about anything you want to and we hope you find something of your own to wrap!

[Read More…]

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Post image for Polishing your DIY Lock Pick Set for Durability

As with any metal tools, lock picks require some level of care. Polishing your picks is extremely easy to do and will result in longer lasting, more efficient tools.

This can be especially beneficial to your DIY Lock Picks I went over in my last article. You’ll be amazed at how well a properly polished pick glides over the pins of your target lock.

The simple process we’ll go over will give you the finishing touch that your lock picks need. [Read More…]

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Post image for Knot of the Week: Paracord Deployment Lanyard

The Paracord Deployment Lanyard has been a long time coming on our Knot of the Week and much like our last KOTW on the Paracord Storage Lanyard, this too is a request from a reader.

This lanyard enables you to not only carry paracord ready to use, but can quickly deploy various lengths of it in a way that’s easy to manage. As most know that have worked with stored paracord, it can easily become unwieldy and tangled.

Just as the storage lanyard keeps paracord ready to deploy, the deployment lanyard is a vast improvement that we think you’ll immediately integrate.

[Read More…]

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